The last time I visited Marlow & Sons, I sat outside on Broadway with a cold brew and a book. They were out of sandwiches and low on pastries. It was one of New York’s first nice days of spring. In line, a guy in front of rattled off the 12 hyper-specific coffee orders he needed for a business meeting down the street. The dark, back room still reminded me of fun, drunken meals from a decade ago, when I first started coming to Brooklyn regularly. Plenty of people had already made Marlow their neighborhood spot a decade before that.
Marlow’s last service is Sunday. The closure didn’t knock me out. Andrew Tarlow and his team made the chalkboard menu restaurant that doubles as all-day cafe & market thing pervasive. It’s now all over Nashville and Austin and Portland, ME. Oftentimes when that happens, the original becomes less essential.
But Marlow’s closure got me thinking about the new wave New York dining institutions that will actually last. The ones that I hope I’m still dining at in 50 years. Places I can’t imagine ever losing their edge, getting lost to time, or deciding they had a good run and walking away.
It’s a tricky line to walk. You have to iterate just enough to stay relevant, hold onto key staff, manage expansion demands without getting overextended, and settle into a day-to-day dining experience that feels timeless.
Here’s my list of 10 restaurants that I think fit the bill. The ones that have opened in New York since 2015 that should and will make it for good. Because no list like this is complete without a fun little argument, I’ll be debating the final results with my friend Gabrielle Scelzo of Perfect City on Substack Live on Monday at 3pm ET. Tune in here.
Lilia | Williamsburg
Missy Robbins’ buzzy pasta palace has endured due to everything beyond the pasta. I know plenty of friends who roll their eyes at this place. Haters, I guess. I’ve only ever had a great time. The Italian Job gelato and whatever vegetables are on the menu always hit. At night, it turns into one of the most romantic rooms in the city. And it knows exactly what it’s trying to be.
(Also, if you spend $150 per person to eat outside in the parking lot here you’re a sucker. And there are lots of suckers).
Frenchette | Tribeca
The real reason for this piece. Last weekend I sat in the dining room at Frenchette during brunch and realized I’ve popped in at least once during every visit to town in the past year. The bartenders are some of the best in the city, and many have been around for years. The pancake is worth dealing with a brunch crowd. The salads are never not great. And this is still one of the few places in the city that hand-cuts their own fries.
Mission Chinese Food | Chinatown
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It’s unlikely that Danny Bowien’s seemingly-always-temporary MCF reincarnation is still around in five years, much less 50. But I really hope there’s something sustainable here. Like at Estela — ineligible given its 2013 opening date — the new Mission Chinese has embraced a collection of staple dishes better than most other bites in the city. The seasonal additions around must-orders like the kung pao pastrami and mapo tofu rarely reach the same heights, but they’re good enough to sustain a long-term balance.
The Grill | Midtown
This spot was gonna go to The Grill, Torrisi or Gage & Tollner. The Grill wins out, mostly because of the room and the vibe.
Four Horsemen | Williamsburg
The only place on this list regularly switching up most of its menu. I hope Nick Curtola never stops grinding at this absolute gem.
Superiority Burger | East Village
Amanda Perdomo told me last week that SB has no competition for the best desserts in the city. She’s right. Maybe it will continue to evolve. Maybe it’ll go back to operating from a small counter. But I hope it doesn’t ever disappear again.
Via Carota | West Village
I really only eat here around 11am or 3pm, when it’s easy to slide into the bar and order some of the daily specials. It’s easy to spot a restaurant in another city trying desperately to be Via Carota. There’s a spot I like in Boston that even ripped off the coasters. But there’s only one, and I think they could do this thing forever.
Chez Ma Tante | Greenpoint
The perfect neighborhood restaurant. I don’t really want to know what happens to Greenpoint if there’s no Chez Ma Tante around.
Semma | West Village
Unapologetic Foods needed one spot on the list. While Dhamaka still has my favorite food from this restaurant group, it operates out of a vibeless ghost town of a food hall. I’m skeptical that has staying power, so I’m going with Semma, the upscale heavy-hitter of this bunch.
Penny | East Village
The newest addition, and thus the riskiest. But there’s nothing trendy or fleeting about what’s happening above Claud. Penny is the best seafood bar in America. It should maintain that title for a long time.
Eat outside in the parking lot 😭
So many I need to try!!!